Commonly Used Assessment Tools

Introduction to Commonly Used Assessment Tools

The following list contains commonly used tests by categories for the assessment of children and youth.  Tests listed are based on common usage, not preference for publisher.  Buros Book of Measurement provides a current and comprehensive listing of all published tests, the publishers and a summary of the validity and reliability of each test for a fee.  Each examiner carries the full responsibility for the ethical and appropriate use of a test. 

Buros Book of Measurement website:
http://www.unl.edu/buros
http://buros.unl.edu/buros/jsp/search.jsp

If your child is demonstrating self-injurious behavior or having suicidal thoughts, a professional or hospital needs to be contacted immediately.

Explanation of the grid which follows:

Ages references the age of the child specific to the test given.

Types of Test identifies the basis for test construction.

  • Criterion-referenced tests compare the child's specific skill taught in the classroom to a specific level of performance.
  • Norm-referenced tests compare the child's performance to other children his age or grade on a regional or national basis and are often referred to as Standardized tests.
  • Some screener/checklists are often developed from questions around clusters of behaviors specific to a condition.

Under Examiner, you can see which tests a Psychologist, Teacher or Other (Examples, Audiologist, Speech/Language Pathologist, Occupational or Physical Therapist) must conduct.

Under Features:

  • Spanish Version of a test is available by the publisher.
  • Minority Norms are available by the publisher.
  • A Free Domain checklist/screeners can be downloaded and are often helpful to parents and private providers at an early phase of inquiry.


Testing is not a substitute for urgent mental health needs.  If your child is demonstrating signs of severe self-injurious behavior, suicidal thoughts and or aggressive behaviors and has assault plans, a mental health professional or hospital needs to be contacted immediately.  If your child’s danger to self or other is imminent, you can the mental health unit of the police.  Your child’s health care provider and teacher also need to be informed without delay.  Perhaps a problem-solving team/ core team (link) would be helpful for ongoing support, planning and intervention after the urgent need is handled.

 

COMMONLY USED
ASSESSMENT
TOOLS

infant preschooler child youth criterion-referenced norm-referenced screenerrating checklist psychologist teacher other specialists Spanish Version Minority Norms free domain
  Ages Types of Test Examiner Features
  *COMMONLY USED ASSESSMENT TOOLS                                                        
  Brigance Inventory of Essential Skills     x x x x             x x x            
  Kaufman Test of Ed. Achievement-Comprehensive Form (K-TEA)         x x     x         x x x            
  KeyMath-Revised         x x     x         x x x            
  Munoz         x x     x         x x x x        
  Peabody Individual Achievement Test-Revised (PIAT-R)         x x     x         x x x            
  Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II)         x x     x         x x x            
  Wide Range Achievement Test-4 (WRAT-4)         x x     x         x x x x        
  Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement     x x x     x         x x x            
  Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-R         x x     x             x x            
  Test of Reading Comprehension         x x     x         x x x            
  Test of Written Language-R         x x     x         x x x            
  ADAPTVE BEHAVIOR / SELF HELP / DAILY LIVING SKILLS                                                        
  Adaptive Behavior Assessment System II x x x x     x     x x x x            
  AAMR Adaptive Behavior Scale-Residential and Community: x x x x     x     x x x x            
  Battelle Developmental Inventory     x x     x         x x x x            
  Casey Life Skills Assessments (ACLSA)         x x             x x x x         x
  Reynolds Adolesent Screening Inventory (RAASI)             x     x     x x     x            
  Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised (SIB-R) x x x x     x     x x x x            
  Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scales (Parent and Teacher Rating Forms) x x x x     x     x x x x            
  ATTENTION / CONCENTRATION / ADHD                                                        
  Achenbach System for Evidenced-Based Assessment (ASEBS)     x x x     x     x x x x x x    
  Behavior Assessment System for Children P&T (BASC-2)     x x x     x     x x x x x        
  Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scales (BAADS) P,T     x x x x x     x x x x            
  Conner's Continuation Performance Test         x x     x         x                    
  Conners' Rating Scales-Revised     x x x     x     x x x x            
  Rapid Automaized Naming & Rapid Alternative Stimulus Test     x x x     x         x     x            
  Vanderbilt Parent Assessment Scale for ADHD         x x     x     x x     x         x
  Vanderbilt Teacher Assessment Scale for ADHD         x x     x     x     x             x
  AUDIOLOGY / HEARING                                                        
  Auditory Brainstem Response testing (ABR) without sedation x x x x         x             x            
  Test of Auditory processing disorders of children (SCAN)     x x x                         x            
  Conditioned Play Audiometry (CPA) x x x                             x            
  Otoacoustic Emission (OAE) x x x x                         x            
  Speech Audiometry     x x x                         x            
  Standard Audiometric testing     x x x                         x            
  Tympanometry x x x x                         x            
  AUTISM SPECTRUM                                                        
  Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS)         x x     x     x x x x            
  Asperger Screening Scale for Autism     x x x x         x x x x         x
  Autism Behavior Checklist (Krug)     x x x     x     x x x x            
  Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)     x x x     x         x x x            
  Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS)     x x x     x         x                    
  Autism Rating Scale     x x x     x     x x x x            
  Autism Screening Instrument for Educational Planning-2nd Ed (ASIEP-2)     x x x     x         x x x            
  Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)     x x x     x         x x x            
  Australian Scale for Asperger Syndrome     x x x     x     x x x x            
  Battelle Developmental Inventory - 2nd Edition x x         x         x x x x            
  Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) Parent & provider x             x x         x x x         x
  Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS)     x x x     x x x x x x            
  Gilliam Asperger's Disorder Scale (GADS)     x x x     x     x x x x            
  Gilliam Autism Rating Scale, 2nd Ed. (GARS-2)     x x x     x     x x x x            
  Informal Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders     x x x x         x x x x         x
  Krug Asperger's Disorder Index (KADI)     x x x     x x x x x x            
  PDD Behavior Inventory (PDDBI)     x x x     x     x x x x            
  PDD Screening Test-II     x x         x x x x x x            
  Psycheducational Profile-Third Edition (PEP-3) x x x         x         x x x            
  Rimland (E-Z) Autism Checklist     x x x     x     x x x x            
  Social Responsiveness Scale (STS)         x x             x x     x            
  BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST                                                        
  Aberrant Behavior Checklist     x x x     x     x x x x            
  Achenbach System for Evidenced-Based Assessment (ASEBS)     x x x     x     x x x x x        
  Attachment questionnaire         x x     x     x x x x         x
  Behavior Assessment System for Children P&T (BASC-2)         x x     x     x x x x            
  Bipolar Mood Screening     x x x             x x x x         x
  Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Scales (BAADS) P,T         x x     x     x x x x            
  Child Anxiety/PTSD Symptom Rating Scale         x x     x x x x x x         x
  Child Sexual Behavior Inventory (CSBI)     x x         x     x x     x            
  Conners' Rating Scales-Revised (CRS-R)     x x x     x x x x x x            
  Depression Module--parent/Provider Self Help Guide         x x             x x x x         x
  Drepression Symptom Rating Scale         x x     x     x x x x         x
  Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders         x x     x         x x x            
  Mood Regulating Symptom Checklist (rating for bipolar behaviors)         x x     x     x x x x         x
  Obsessive Compuslive Screening Checklist         x x             x x x x         x
  Scared Anxiety Screen for Children: (includes scoring)         x x x         x x x x         x
  Scared Anxiety Screen for Children: (to be filled out by parent)         x x x         x x x x         x
  School Refusal Scale for Parent and Child by C. Kearney         x x         x x x x x            
  Spence Children's Anxiety Scale         x x     x x x x x x         x
  Vanderbilt Parent Assessment Scale for ADHD         x x     x     x x     x         x
  Vanderbilt Teacher Assessment Scale for ADHD         x x     x     x     x             x
  Yale-Brown Obssessive Compulsive Scale         x x             x x x x         x
  Young Mania Scale         x x         x x x x x         x
  Youth Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ)         x x     x     x x         x        
  BODILY FUNCTIONS (EATING, SLEEPING, COLOR VISION)                                                        
  Eating Inventory         x x     x     x x x x            
  Neitz Test of Color Vision         x x     x         x x x            
  Pseudo-isochromatic for testing color perception (sample online)         x x     x         x x x         x
  Rating scale for chronic fatigue syndrome         x x     x     x x x x         x
  Sleep Apnea Questionnaire     x x x         x x x x x         x
  Sleep Disorders Inventory for Students (SDIS)         x x     x     x x x x            
  Sleep Questionnaire         x x     x     x x x x            
  EARLY DEVELOPMENT                                                        
  Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III x x             x         x     x            
  Batelle Developmental Inventory - 2nd Edition x x x     x             x x x            
  Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Early Development-Revised     x x     x     x     x x x            
  Denver II x x x         x     x         x            
  Five P's Parent Professional Preschool Profile 2002 update x x x     x         x x x x            
  Gardner Social (Maturity) Development (GSDS) x x x         x     x x x x            
  Greenspan Social-Emotional Growth Chart x x         x         x x x                
  Infant Psychological Development Scale x x             x         x                    
  Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) x x             x         x x x            
  Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP)     x             x         x                    
  Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL)     x             x         x                    
  Psychoeducational Profile-Third Edition (PEP-3)     x             x         x                    
  Preschool Visual Motor Integration Assessment (PVMI)     x             x         x x x            
  The Social Attributes Checklist x x x             x x x x x         x
  EXECUTIVE FUNCTION (PROCESSING, MEMORY)                                                        
  Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)         x x     x     x x x x            
  Comprehensive Trail - Making Test             x     x         x                    
  Rapid Automatized Naming & Rapid Alternating Stimulus Test         x x     x         x x x            
  Stroop Color and Word Test             x     x         x                    
  Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL) - 2nd Edition         x x     x         x                    
  Test of Verbal Conceptualization Fluency (TVCF)             x     x         x                    
  Weschsler Memory Scale-Third Edition         x x     x         x                    
  Wide Range Assess. Of Memory & Learning 2 (WRAML2)         x x     x         x                    
  Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-64 Card Version         x x     x         x                    
  FINE / GROSS MOTOR DEVELOPMENT / VISUAL PRECEPTION                                                        
  Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III - Motor x x             x         x     x            
  Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test Second Edition         x x     x         x     x            
  Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency         x x     x                 x            
  Carrow Auditory Visual Abilities Test     x x x     x                 x            
  Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration VMI 5th Edition (Beery VMI)     x x x     x         x     x            
  Motor Free Visual Perception Test     x x x     x         x     x            
  Movement Assessment Battery for Children - 2nd Ed (Movement ABC-2)     x x x     x     x         x            
  Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-Second Edition (PDMS-2) x x             x                 x            
  Developmental Test of Visual Perception 2     x x x     x         x     x            
  Developmental Test of Visual Perception Adolescent and Adult             x     x         x     x            
  Preschool Visual Mortor Integration Assessment     x             x         x     x            
  INTELLIGENCE / COGNITION                                                        
  Differential Ability Scales Secon Eition (DAS-II)         x x     x         x                    
  Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT)         x x     x         x                    
  Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS)         x x     x         x                    
  Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fifth Edition (S.B. V)     x x x     x         x                    
  Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV)         x x     x         x         x        
  Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence 3rd Edition     x x         x         x                    
  Wide Range Intelligence Test (WRIT)         x x     x         x                    
  Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities ( W JIII COG         x x     x         x x                
  INTELLIGENCE - NONVERBAL CONGNITION                                                        
  Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (CTONI)         x x     x         x                    
  Draw A Person: A Quantitative Scoring System     x x x     x         x                    
  Draw A Person - IQ     x x x     x         x                    
  House-Tree-Person: A Quantitative Scoring System         x x     x         x                    
  Informal Assessment of Multiple Intelligence (Armstrong)     x x x             x x x x            
  Matrix Analogies Test (MAT)         x x     x         x x                
  Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter - R)     x x x     x         x                    
  Nonverbal Learning Disabilities Checklist         x x             x x x x         x
  Test of Nonverbal Intelligence- III (Toni-3)         x x     x         x                    
  Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT)     x x x     x         x                    
  Wechsler Nonverbal Scale of Ability (WNV)         x x     x         x                    
  LANGUAGE / COMMUNICATION / SPEECH                                                        
  Brigance Diagnostic Assessment of Basic Skills-Spanish Edition     x x x     x         x x x x        
  Boston Naming Test         x x     x                 x            
  Your Child's Communication Development: K Through 5th Grade         x                 x x x x         x
  Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-4th Ed (CELF-4)         x x     x                 x x        
  Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool 2nd Ed     x             x                 x            
  Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language (CASL)         x x     x                 x x        
  Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test-2000 Ed     x x x     x                 x            
  Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation     x x x     x                 x            
  How does your Child hear and talk x x                     x x x x         x
  Lindamood Auditory Conceptualization Test             x     x                 x            
  Nasoneter (Test of Nasality)     x x x     x                 x            
  Patterned Elicitation Syntax Test     x x x     x                 x            
  Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-R (PPVT-R)     x x x     x         x     x            
  Rapid Automaized Naming & Rapid Alternative Stimulus Test     x x x     x         x     x            
  Receptive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test (ROWPVT)     x x x     x                 x            
  Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language Development (TACL)     x x x     x                 x            
  Test of Language Development (TOLD)     x x x     x                 x            
  Test of Problem Solving     x x x     x                 x            
  OBSERVATIONS                                                        
  Functional Behavioral Analysis (How-To)     x x x                 x x x            
  Response Discrepancy Observation website     x x x                 x x x            
  PLAY ASSESSMENT                                                        
  A Scale for Assessing Development of Children's Play     x x x             x x x x            
  Play Observation Checklist     x x                 x x x x         x
  Symbolic Play Test - 2nd Edition x x             x         x     x            
  Test of Pretend Play     x x                     x x x            
  Transdisciplinary Play - Based Assesment - Revised     x x x                 x x x            
  SENSORY                                                        
  Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile             x     x     x         x            
  Analysis of Sensory Behavior Inventory-Revised (ASBI-R) x x             x     x         x x        
  Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile x x             x     x         x            
  Sensory Profile (Winnie Dunn)         x x     x     x         x            
  Sensory Profile School Companion         x x             x         x            
  SOCIAL / EMOTIONAL / PERSONALITY                                                        
  Adolescent Anger Rating Scale (AARS)             x     x     x x     x            
  Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)             x     x     x x     x x        
  Beck Youth Inventories-Second Ed. (BYI-II)         x x     x     x x     x            
  Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scales (BADDS)         x x     x     x x     x            
  Child and Adolecent Social Support Scale (CASSS)         x x     x     x x                    
  Children's Depression Inventory (CDI)         x x     x     x x     x            
  Children's Depression Rating Scale, Revised (CDS-R)         x x     x     x x     x            
  Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventory -Third Ed. (CFSEI-3)         x x     x         x x x            
  Draw A Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance         x x     x     x x                    
  Devereux School Behavior Rating Scales         x x     x     x x     x            
  House Tree Person Drawings     x x x                 x                    
  Kinetics Family Drawing     x x x                 x     x            
  Leyton Obsessional Inventory         x x             x x     x            
  Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent             x     x     x x     x            
  Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC)         x x     x     x x     x            
  Personality Inventory for Children-Second Edition         x x     x     x x     x            
  Personality Inventory for Youth (PIY)             x     x     x x     x            
  Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, 2nd Ed. (PHCSCS-2)         x x     x     x x     x            
  Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS)         x x     x     x x     x            
  Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale-Second Edition (RAD-2)             x     x     x x     x            
  Reynolds Child Depression Scale (RCDS)         x         x     x x     x            
  Roberts - 2nd Edition         x x                 x     x            
  Scared Anxiety Screen for Children: (includes scoring)         x x x         x x x x         x
  School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory (SMALSI)         x x x         x x     x            
  School Refusal Scale (Parent and Child form)         x x x         x x x x            
  Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C)         x x     x x x x x x            
  Social Skills Rating Scales (Parent, Teacher, child forms)     x x         x         x     x            
  Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-Third Ed (SASSI)             x         x x x         x        
  Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ)             x x         x x     x            
  Suicide Probability Scale (SPS)             x     x     x x     x            
  STRENGTHS / INTERESTS / TALENTS                                                        
  Child Strengths Checklist     x x x         x x x x x         x
  Daily Strength Scale     x x x         x x x x x         x
  Family Strengths Assessment     x x x         x     x x x         x
  Reinforcment Survey (age 2-6) x x                 x x x x x         x
  Reinforcment Survey (age 6-12 expanded)         x x         x x x x x         x
  Reinforcment Survey (age 6-13)         x x         x x x x x         x
  Reinforcment Survey (age 13-18)             x         x x x x x         x
  Resiliency Scales for Adolescents: A Profile of Personal Strengths         x x     x     x x x x            
  School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory (SMALSI)         x x             x x x x            
  TRAUMA                                                        
  Children's PTSD Inventory         x x     x     x x     x x        
  Trauma and Attachment Belief Scale (TABS)                             x                        
  Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC)         x x     x     x x     x            
  Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC)     x x         x     x x     x            
  VISUAL-MOTOR PERCEPTION/MOTOR FINE AND GROSS MOTOR                                                        
  Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III - Motor x x             x         x     x            
  Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test - 2nd Edition     x x x     x         x                    
  Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency         x x     x                 x            
  Carrow Auditory Visual Abilities Test     x x x     x                 x            
  Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration VMI 5th Edition (Beery VMI)     x x x     x         x     x            
  Motor Free Visual Perception Test     x x x     x         x     x            
  Movement Assessment Battery for Children - 2nd Ed (Movement ABC-2)     x x x     x                 x            
  Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-Second Edition (PDMS-2) x x             x                 x            
  Developmental Test of Visual Perception 2     x x x     x         x     x            
  Developmental Test of Visual Perception Adolescent and Adult             x     x         x     x            
  Preschool Visual Mortor Integration Assessment     x             x         x     x            
  VISION                                                        
  Neitz Test of Color Vision         x x     x         x x x            
  Pseudo-isochromatic for testing color perception - Preschool     x x x     x         x x x         x
  Pseudo-isochromatic for testing color perception - Schooled         x x     x         x x x         x
  VOCATIONAL / TRANSION                                                        
  Transition Planning Inventory - update version (TPI-UV)                                     x x            
  OTHER                                                        
  The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory x x x x             x x x x         x
  Light's Retention Scale-Revised (LRS-R) designed for use during the school conference         x x x         x x x x            
  Parenting Stress Index (PSI)     x x x     x     x x     x            
  Parent-Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI)     x x x     x     x x     x            
  Pediatric Symptom Checklist x x x x             x         x         x

 

Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM) was not included in above list.  CBM is testing of the specific curriculum taught in the classroom.  When CBM is used, a teacher regularly assesses the student’s progress in specific areas, as pre-reading, reading, spelling, mathematics or written expression.  CBM procedures provide information on how to design instruction to aid the child’s learning.   Examples of CBM are: 

References:
Kearney, A. School Refusal Behavior in Youth

March, J.C., & Mulle, K. OCD in Children and Adolescents: A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Manual

National Center for Learning Disabilities: Parent Advocacy Brief: A Parent’s Guide to Response-to-Intervention.  www.LD.org

National Association for School Psychology Toolkit: Assessment Alternatives under IDEA 2004

Sattler, J. M., Assessment of Children Behavioral and Clinical Application Fourth Edition.

Sattler, J. M., Assessment of Children Cognitive Applications Fourth Edition.